German nurse accused of poisoning babies with morphine

A nurse in Germany has been arrested on suspicion of poisoning five premature babies with morphine, police said Thursday, adding that the infants had survived.

The woman was taken into custody on Wednesday after investigators found a syringe containing breast milk and traces of morphine in her locker at Ulm university hospital in southern Germany.

The babies, who were between one day and one month old and staying in the same hospital room, all suddenly developed breathing problems "at almost the same time" in the early hours of December 20, Ulm police chief Bernhard Weber said.

"Only because of the immediate action taken by the staff could the five lives be saved," he told a press conference.

Doctors do not expect the infants to suffer any lasting harm.

The young nurse taken into custody has yet to be formally charged but faces five counts of attempted manslaughter, Ulm prosecutor Christof Lehr said at the same press conference.

She denies poisoning the babies, he added.

Hospital staff initially suspected the infants had caught an infection, "but this could be ruled out after urine tests", police chief Weber said.

The tests did however show traces of morphine -- although two of the babies had not been prescribed the heavy painkiller as part of their care.

The hospital then notified the police.

A search of the lockers of employees on duty around the time of the incident turned up the syringe "filled with breast milk", said Lehr.

Testing then "confirmed the terrible suspicion that the syringe contained morphine", he said.

An arrest warrant was then issued for the woman who owns the locker, on suspicion of "attempted manslaughter".

Prosecutors believe she acted with premeditation and "accepted that the babies could die" as a result of her actions, Lehr said.